Freethought & Rationalism Archive

uncle_onion · 04-01-2002, 05:39 AM

Last night on the UK discovery Channel I caught the ending of a documentary that put forward a theory that a piece of Papyrus of the book of Matthew had been found and seems to be dated to the contemporary time of "Christ" due to its style of handwriting. Any one know any thing about this as it seems to go against all that I have read on the subject?

UO

[ April 01, 2002: Message edited by: uncle_onion ]</p>

Free Thinkr · 04-01-2002, 05:54 AM

Warning: Mere conjecture on my part.

That said, I would think it nearly impossible to date something to +- 50 years with handwriting analysis.

Jayhawker Soule · 04-01-2002, 05:54 AM

On the off chance that this is not some April Fool's joke, the following is from <a href="http://atheism.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bowness.demon.co .uk%2Fthiede.htm" target="_blank">The Jesus Papyrus - Five Years On </a>

Quote:

Several of the most respected papyrologists and palaeographers have preferred not to get embroiled in the 'affaire Thiede', distancing themselves from the popular press and treating the matter to the proper silence of contempt such matters really deserve. Like indefatigable, single-issue politicians, Thiede is tireless in promoting his views, strangely impervious to or oblivious to responsible criticisms. To maintain a constant barrage of counter-criticism against such an author who relishes attention is an exercise few academics have the time, inclination or stomach for. One Biblical scholar who did rise to Thiede's challenges is Graham Stanton, now Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, who painstakingly and courteously demolished Thiede's new proposed dating of Papyrus 64, and with it the underlying hidden (evangelical) agenda. This Stanton did in various writings, most notably in a book Gospel Truth? published in 1995 and reissued as a second edition in paperback that same year. His is a dispassionate, well written and accessible antidote to what Thiede stands for and wrote about in The Jesus Papyrus.

Toto · 04-01-2002, 09:14 AM

Thanks for that link. There was a long drawn out debate on these boards last year principally between Nomad and Rodahi on the subject of Thiede and his dating of scraps of papyri. It was not especially productive.

uncle_onion · 04-01-2002, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the link.

UO

04-01-2002, 05:39 AM	#1
uncle_onion Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: uk Posts: 81	The Jesus Papyrus??? Last night on the UK discovery Channel I caught the ending of a documentary that put forward a theory that a piece of Papyrus of the book of Matthew had been found and seems to be dated to the contemporary time of "Christ" due to its style of handwriting. Any one know any thing about this as it seems to go against all that I have read on the subject? UO [ April 01, 2002: Message edited by: uncle_onion ]</p>

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04-01-2002, 05:54 AM	#2
Free Thinkr Banned Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 4,379	Warning: Mere conjecture on my part. That said, I would think it nearly impossible to date something to +- 50 years with handwriting analysis.

04-01-2002, 09:14 AM	#4
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Thanks for that link. There was a long drawn out debate on these boards last year principally between Nomad and Rodahi on the subject of Thiede and his dating of scraps of papyri. It was not especially productive.

04-01-2002, 11:37 AM	#5
uncle_onion Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: uk Posts: 81	Thanks for the link. UO

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